Project information

Promoting social entrepreneurship for youth

Umoja provides vulnerable and disadvantaged youth with a brighter future. We select 40 of the most at risk, but highly motivated, young adults from the urban slums of Arusha and provide education, personal development and life skills training which enables them to find meaningful employment.

Charity information: Umoja

Need

Umoja has contributed to education and skills training for youths preparing them to enter the workforce. Yet poverty and poor education quality still presents the largest challenges for disenfranchised youth in Tanzania, many of whom struggle to find employment once they complete their studies. This is due to a lack of employment opportunities. Umoja plans to increase the numbers of graduates starting their own businesses to create change in their lives.

Solution

Umoja’s free holistic education and support programme has provided access to education for disadvantaged young people who lack alternative options. In an effort to diversify the opportunities provided for students, delivery of social enterprise training will provide students with new skills in business entrepreneurship and practical training. This programme will allow students to not only learn about social entrepreneurship but be able to practically engage in all aspects of the business.

Impact

Our education programme has been successful, with a high pass rate for students who then go onto further education. 95% of students who have completed the Umoja programme have found employment, this is testimony to our delivery method that promotes critical thinking and problem solving skills to enable students to find their own solutions and succeed at what they do.

Risk

Umoja has guaranteed funding from individual sponsors who support Umoja graduate students to continue in their further education. However we struggle yearly to fund our foundation year programme. With increased funding we would be able to provide better opportunities for our students and expand our curriculum and programme to include better resources and entrepreneurship support. By establishing this social enterprise it will allow us to continue our work by adding value to our programme.

Reporting

This project is closely monitored by Umoja's Director and Grants Manager and updates are regularly provided in our monthly newsletter, through our social media and website.

Location

The city of Arusha, where The Umoja Centre is located, is in Northern Tanzania at the base of Mount Meru and is the capital of the region. Tanzania’s urban population is rapidly increasing with 92 per cent of the urban population living in slums (UN-Habitat). This is one of the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa (more than 6 per cent per year). All our students are from backgrounds of extreme poverty, living in the urban slum areas and are among the most marginalized in their society.

Beneficiaries

We have 41 students currently enrolled in the 2014 foundation year and support an additional 95 in various other institutes such as secondary schools, vocational training institutes, colleges and universities. They will directly benefit from this project and the successes are shown by those who have graduated and been able to attain full-time skilled employment.

Why Us?

There are few education schemes like Umoja in Arusha. Existing education opportunities all charge fees for courses that are beyond student means. At Umoja, students benefit from free education and extracurricular activities, medical checks, health information, counseling, guidance and support. These young people are consistently neglected by both the government and other relief agencies. Umoja has provided this support since 2009 and has a good track record with students and the community.